Surgical packages for sutures with attached needles are widely known in the art. Two commonly used suture packages include a molded plastic retainer and a folded paper retainer. A conventional molded plastic retainer incorporates a molded channel, e.g., a racetrack channel, for receiving a plurality of sutures and a needle park for mounting the needles attached to the sutures. The folded paper retainer is generally constructed from paperboard, fiberboard or other suitable material, and incorporates a plurality of panels which are folded to form an envelope in which the wound suture(s) is placed.
While molded plastic retainers can receive a number of sutures with attached needles of various sizes, the folded paper retainers are generally more cost effective and less wasteful than the plastic retainers. However, drawbacks of conventional folded paper retainers include difficulties in opening the retainer, and in accessing and removing the stored sutures. In addition, if several sutures are stored in a folded paper retainer, these sutures have a tendency to tangle if provisions are not made to maintain the sutures separated.